Hughes 369HS N9068F

Summary

On 3 September 2015 at about 17:52 local time, a Hughes 369HS registered N9068F, operated by Whirlwide Helicopters Inc, was involved in an accident near Manra Island, Kiribati. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 September 2015 at 17:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Manra Island, Kiribati

Coordinates

-5.7167, -166.1167

Aircraft

Hughes 369HS

Registration

N9068F

Category

Helicopter

Year built

1971

Engines

1

Operator

Whirlwide Helicopters Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Manra Island → Manra Island

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR15LA257

1 person died.

A The loss of helicopter control for reasons that could not be determined asbecause the helicopter sank in the oceanwater and was not recovered.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to an operator representative, the commercial pilot and passenger/spotter were conducting fish-spotting duties. The operator reported that, about 16 minutes after the helicopter departed from the fishing vessel, the fishing vessel's radio operator reported losing contact with the helicopter. Vessel personnel then located the helicopter upside down in the water and initiated rescue operations. The passenger reported that "the helicopter went wrong in the air and started rolling over and fell into the water." The passenger evacuated the helicopter and was rescued shortly after. He reported that he saw that the pilot's life vest had inflated inside the helicopter and that the pilot was struggling to exit and then stopped moving. After the passenger was transported to a hospital, he was not available for further questioning. The pilot's personal life vest, which was equipped to self-inflate when submerged in water, likely prevented him from evacuating the helicopter as it rolled over. After the accident, the operator advised its pilots not to use this type of life vest and to use the company-issued flotation life vests. The helicopter sank and was not recovered. The reason for the loss of helicopter control could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.